News: Tony Kushner, Adam Lambert and Queen, Colin Farrell, Cannes

Head of Equality Utah to leave organization: "Mike Thompson, Equality
Utah's executive director is leaving the 5-year-old organization after
four years at the helm. His last day is Friday. The Oklahoma native is heading west to San Francisco -- a city he
has wanted to live in for a long time -- to do what he does best: Build
up fledgling nonprofits."

Varietyon Tony Kushner's new play: "Opening night was postponed a week, with Kushner reportedly rewriting down to the wire, and early previews had pushed past the four-hour mark -- none of which necessarily presaged disaster but certainly fueled curiosity. The resulting three-act drama is a success -- sprawling, yearning, at times emotionally violent, it is also packed with a level of complexity, sophistication and understanding that distinguishes it as a potentially important new American work."

UCLA Williams Institute study shows marriage matters: "A significant majority of the 558 gay men and womensurveyedsaid
that since marrying, they feel more committed to their spouses, more
accepted in their community, and more likely to be open about their
sexual orientation at work. The
survey indicates that there is something universal about the legal
protections and social advantages afforded by the institution of
marriage..."

Michael Haneke's The White Ribbonwins Palm d'Or at Cannes: "Haneke's drama depicts a series of violent, secretive incidents among the families of the local pastor, baron, doctor and tenant farmers. The local schoolteacher investigates the mystery. Shot in gorgeous black-and-white by cinematographer Christian Berger, "The White Ribbon" is one of two major Cannes prize-winners already picked up by Sony Pictures Classics for distribution in the U.S. The other, the absorbing French prison drama "A Prophet," won this year's Grand Prix, the second most important award at Cannes."

Comments

I’m a devout Christian and mother of two music-loving boys, and I must ask: What is wrong with America? America’s vote for Kris Allen, or America’s vote against Adam Lambert, seems to be a hate vote against the various sectors of society that Adam appears to stand for. People lost respect of the fact that American Idol is a singing talent competition open to all -- straight or gay, Christian or Jewish, clean-cut or flamboyant glam, etc. Voters forgot that it is not a popularity contest for class of persons — neither an arena to battle for coalition leadership nor grounds to crusade for a religious revival. In Season 8, Kris demonstrated that he is a skilled musician and an outstanding vocalist; but Adam consistently proved to be the amazingly innovative vocal artist and the versatile singer, gifted with a powerful voice. Adam deserved to win. Even visibly perplexed Kris acknowledged this glaring truth in his Christian heart so that he openly asserted in public that “Adam deserves this. I’m sorry…” when he was unexpectedly handed the undeserved title. So many seconds passed before bewildered Kris finally acquiesced to receive the undeserved crown, but only after Adam graciously approached to place a brotherly arm around his room mate’s shoulder in a gesture of encouragement. Hello, brothers and sisters -- American Idol is a singing contest and Adam Lambert is the real winner! I should also ask: What is wrong with Fox TV’s American Idol show that they could instigate warped controversies and divisiveness to occur at a time like this?